10 Resume Mistakes to Avoid (According to Recruiters)
In today’s competitive job market, recruiters sift through hundreds of resumes and spend mere seconds on each. Even a small misstep on your resume can be the difference between landing an interview and being passed over. To help you put your best foot forward, here are ten common resume mistakes – identified by recruiters – that you should avoid, along with tips to fix them.
Mistake 1: Spelling and Grammatical Errors
Typos and poor grammar top the list of resume deal-breakers for recruiters. Hiring managers see sloppy writing as a sign of poor attention to detail. According to a survey of 379 recruiters, spelling and grammar mistakes were the number one issue that would cause them to reject a candidate’s resume. How to avoid it: Proofread meticulously. Don’t rely solely on spellcheck – print out your resume or use a tool like Grammarly for a thorough review. Better yet, have someone else read it: “Have someone else read over your resume to check for this sort of error… A second pair of eyes helps.” as one talent recruiter advises. Taking these steps will ensure your qualifications shine, not your mistakes.
Mistake 2: Incorrect or Missing Contact Information
Make it easy for recruiters to reach you. It sounds obvious, but missing or incorrect contact details are a surprisingly common mistake. If your phone number or email is wrong, recruiters can’t get in touch – and you’ll never know you were a top candidate! Moreover, sloppy contact info suggests a lack of thoroughness: if you don’t double-check your own details, recruiters worry about your attention to detail on the job. How to avoid it: Always include a professional email and current phone number at the top of your resume. Double-check that they are typed correctly. List your city and state (you can omit full street address for privacy). Be mindful of formatting: avoid putting contact info in a document header or as an image – many applicant tracking systems (ATS) can’t read it there. A quick review of your contact section for accuracy can save your application from an early exit.
Mistake 3: Using an Unprofessional Email Address
Your email address should not raise eyebrows. Recruiters often cringe at novelty or inappropriate emails – it can derail their impression of an otherwise strong candidate. For example, a hiring manager might overlook your qualifications if your email is something like “hipster.hottie@…,” focusing on that distraction instead. In fact, career experts stress that your email should simply be a variation of your name, not an old nickname or joke. How to avoid it: Create a professional email address for job searching, ideally using your first and last name (e.g., [email protected]). This small step makes your application look polished. If you’ve been using a quirky personal email for years, retire it for professional communications. It’s a quick fix that instantly makes you look more serious and mature as a candidate.
Mistake 4: Including Outdated or Irrelevant Information
Resumes have changed over the years – what was expected decades ago might hurt you now. Recruiters don’t want to see details that are irrelevant or could invite bias. In a recent career survey, hiring managers said that including things like your age, marital status, or hobbies unrelated to the job signals you aren’t up-to-date with modern resume standards. Such personal details waste space and can even lead to unintentional discrimination. Similarly, old-fashioned elements like a “References available upon request” line or an objective statement are considered obsolete today. How to avoid it: Streamline your resume to focus only on relevant, professional information. Remove personal data (birthdate, marital status, physical characteristics) and drop the generic objective statement – instead, use that space for a brief professional summary that highlights your value to the employer. As one career expert notes, your resume is “prime real estate and needs to be well organized and highlight your accomplishments. Every word... is very important. You don’t want random words that mean nothing.”. In short, update your resume to meet current standards: include a modern summary and your LinkedIn URL (if your profile is up to date), but leave off antiquated details and superfluous information.
Mistake 5: Failing to Highlight Achievements (Just Listing Duties)
Recruiters want to know what you accomplished, not just what your job description was. A common mistake is listing only responsibilities for each role and failing to demonstrate results or impact. If your resume reads like a job posting (e.g. “Responsible for managing team and projects”) with no context of success, it won’t impress. According to recruiters, resumes that show quantifiable achievements – like growth figures, sales numbers, or efficiency improvements – stand out. Without them, you risk looking like someone who merely occupied the role without adding value. How to avoid it: For each experience entry, convert duties into achievement statements. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to frame bullet points: start with a strong action verb, describe the action you took, and end with a tangible result. For example, instead of “Managed social media,” say “Managed and grew social media engagement by 50%, boosting online sales by 10%.” Wherever possible, include numbers, percentages, or other metrics. This shows recruiters how you contributed in previous roles. Remember, as one resume expert advises, “connect each job duty or task to an achievement” to help hiring managers see your value. By demonstrating outcomes, you prove you’re someone who delivers results – exactly what recruiters are looking for.
Mistake 6: Overloading on Buzzwords or Keyword Stuffing
While it’s important to use keywords from the job listing so that ATS software flags your resume, going overboard with jargon or buzzwords can backfire. Recruiters are put off by resumes that read like buzzword soup or have obviously been stuffed with repetitive keywords. It’s usually easy to tell when an applicant inserts trendy terms without context (think phrases like “results-driven go-getter” or listing every software keyword in white text). One recruiter calls this tactic “painfully obvious” and a big turnoff. It doesn’t make you look more qualified – it makes it seem like you’re trying to cheat the system or mask a lack of substance. How to avoid it: Use keywords strategically and naturally. Tailor your skills and experience to mirror the job description, but only where it genuinely fits your background. Replace clichés and vague buzzwords with concrete descriptions of your skills. For instance, instead of saying “thinking outside the box,” you might describe a specific innovative project you led. If you’re tempted to try gimmicks like “white fonting” (hiding keywords in white text), skip it – recruiters will eventually read your resume, and they’ll discard ones that try to game the system. Focus on honest, clear language about what you offer. A good rule of thumb: if a word doesn’t substantiate your abilities or align with the role, you don’t need it. Quality of keywords beats quantity.
Mistake 7: Being Too Generic (Not Tailoring Your Resume)
One-size-fits-all resumes do not impress recruiters. If you send out the exact same resume for every application, employers can tell. In fact, hiring professionals consistently rank a lack of customization as a top mistake. Recruiter Stefan Lilienkamp explains that “lazy job applications… without any tailoring is a complete deal breaker. End result, the candidate gets, in the best case, ignored, and worst case, blacklisted…”. Recruiters want to see that you’ve invested effort in aligning your experience to their specific job needs. A generic resume suggests you’re not particularly interested in that role, or that you expect them to do the work to figure out why you’re a fit. How to avoid it: Take time to tailor your resume for each job (or at least each type of job or industry). This doesn’t mean rewriting from scratch every time, but do adjust your summary, keywords, and highlighted achievements to match what each employer is seeking. For example, emphasize different projects or skills depending on the job requirements. Use the company’s job description as a guide for which experiences to feature more prominently. Often, creating a “base” resume and then tweaking it for each application is an efficient way to customize . Yes, it’s a bit of extra work, but it dramatically increases your chances of passing the initial screening. Recruiters appreciate when candidates speak directly to the job in question – it shows enthusiasm and fit.
Mistake 8: A Cluttered or Overly Fancy Format
Your resume’s formatting and design should never overshadow its content. Many recruiters cite overdesigned, cluttered resumes as a mistake to avoid. Fussy templates with lots of colors, graphics, or unconventional layouts can frustrate hiring managers who just want to scan your qualifications. Worse, complex formatting (tables, images, infographics) might not parse correctly in ATS software, meaning key info gets lost. As one career advisor puts it, when it comes to resume format, “less is usually more”. How to avoid it: Stick to a clean, simple layout. Use an easy-to-read font and standard section headings (e.g. Summary, Experience, Education, Skills). Make use of white space and bullet points to break up text – avoid dense paragraphs that overwhelm the reader. Ensure there’s a clear hierarchy of information so that in a 10-second skim, a recruiter can locate your name, contact info, current role, past companies, and key skills. Also, keep formatting consistent (for example, if you bold one job title, bold them all). Unless you’re in a creative field and sending a portfolio-style resume by request, skip the fancy graphics and photos (we’ll discuss photos next). The goal is a professional, ATS-friendly design that highlights your achievements, not a colorful layout that distracts from them. A good test is to view your resume on a plain screen or printout – if anything looks cluttered or hard to read quickly, simplify it. Remember, content is king, and your format should serve that content, not compete with it.
Mistake 9: Including a Photo or Other Personal Graphics
Unless you’re explicitly asked (or work in a field like modeling or acting), do not put your photograph on your resume. Recruiters in many regions, especially the U.S., consider headshots on resumes a red flag. It’s not common practice and can come across as unprofessional or indicative of poor judgment. Moreover, photos can introduce unconscious bias and may even be auto-removed by ATS software, which is designed to avoid passing along personal identifiers. As Indeed’s career guide notes, images and graphics can confuse resume-scanning software and are better left off your CV. How to avoid it: Keep your resume text-focused. Don’t include headshots, logos, or elaborate graphics. If you have a personal branding need or a portfolio, you can provide links (like to your LinkedIn or personal website) separately – those can host pictures if necessary. The only exceptions are when a job ad specifically requests a photo or if you’re applying outside the U.S. where CVs traditionally include photographs. Otherwise, follow the standard professional norm: no image. “Unless you’re an actor or there’s another clear reason, leave it off,” one recruiter says of resume photos. This also extends to other highly personal data (like your height, race, or family details) – they don’t belong on the resume. By focusing on qualifications and avoiding personal visuals, you help recruiters focus on what matters: your skills and experience.
Mistake 10: Making It Too Long or Hard to Read
When it comes to resume length, more is not better. Recruiters spend very little time on an initial resume scan – some studies say just 6-7 seconds per resume – so a concise, relevant document is crucial. A resume that rambles on for three, four, or more pages will likely end up in the “no” pile. In general, most recruiters agree that two pages is the maximum acceptable length, and many prefer a one-page resume for early-career candidates. One recruiting executive even remarked: “Avoid a ridiculously long resume because recruiters and hiring managers take offense to it. It shows that you don’t consider or value their time… causing you to be disqualified from consideration.” Harsh but true – overshooting the length can signal a lack of judgement. On the flip side, a resume that’s too short and vague (well under a page with very little detail) can make it look like you don’t have enough experience or effort in your application. How to avoid it: Aim for a Goldilocks length. Typically, 1 page is ideal for those with under ~7-10 years of experience; 2 pages is fine for more experienced professionals or those with extensive accomplishments. If your resume is spilling over, trim the fat: remove older or irrelevant roles, consolidate bullet points, and focus on the most impactful information. Use a focused summary and concise bullets rather than long paragraphs to make your resume easy to skim. Also be mindful of formatting choices that affect readability – use at least a 10-12pt font and standard margins so the text isn’t cramped. Remember, brevity and clarity show respect for the recruiter’s time. They should be able to glean your key qualifications quickly, and then you can elaborate in the interview. By keeping your resume tight and relevant, you increase the chances a recruiter will actually read it – and call you in.
Bottom Line: Recruiters consistently emphasize these resume pitfalls as ones to avoid. The good news is that all of these mistakes are fixable with some attention and editing. Before you submit your next application, take a moment to run through this list. Have you checked for typos? Updated your contact info? Trimmed out any fluff? A little extra effort can make the difference in getting your resume into the “yes” pile. By avoiding these ten common mistakes – and following the practical tips to correct them – you’ll craft a resume that showcases your qualifications in the best possible light, just as recruiters want to see them. Good luck with your job search!